The History of Chalkstreams

The links below will take you to the articles and text from illustrated lectures written and given by Simon J. Ward in the mid and late nineteen-nineties about the historic chalk streams of Southern England and the man who lead the way in the development of dry fly fishing on these streams.  He was a country gentleman called George Selwyn Marryat.

In the Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter editions of the journal of the Fly Dressers Guild ‘Flydresser’ in 1996 the centenary year of Marryat’s death Simon J. Ward wrote a series of Commemorative articles for this journal.  This was the first comprehensive appreciation in the modern era of a truly remarkable man.  We are grateful to the ‘Field’ and IPC Media for permission to use material taken from the ‘Field’ used in the articles from the months of February and March 1896.  Catch The Image are happy to include these articles on a non profit making basis within the new historic pages on the Catch The Image website.

In the Journal of the Flyfishers’ Club two articles were published the first in the Summer 1996 edition called

The second article from this Journal Summer 1997 edition called